The Reclassification of Limited English Proficient Students: Assessing the Inter-relationship of Selected Variables

The extent and length of primary language instruction in bilingual education programs has been one of the major controversies surrounding their implementation. Generally, processes for moving students into and out of bilingual programs have been based primarily on English proficiency measures. This has occurred even though instruction in the primarily (non-English) language is a major part of these students’ instruction, and is intended to provide the foundation for English instruction. This study analyzed the inter-relationships among several variables: primary language achievement, oral English/reading achievement, instructional level, time in program, and teacher judgement, and their usefulness as indicators of success in all-English instruction. Subjects were 2100 students in a four-stage bilingual program in a large California urban school district. The data suggest that primary language achievement, instructional level, and oral English performance may be important indicators of achievement in English as well as significant variables to be considered in the reclassification process. Distribution of students across program stages, and overall achievement levels are also discussed.